Film Genres and Genre Films, Feb. 11, 2016
For your wiki post, please look to your lecture notes and course readings in order to explain three reasons why defining a genre is not a straightforward endeavour. Please number the reasons and bring your wiki post to class. Please also come prepared to discuss Stagecoach and His Girl Friday in relation to genres of (in)determinate space and the figure of the hero in the example of Ringo. --------------------------------- Francisco Kim 1. Genre is not clearly defined. Genres can be described as a group or category of film that share common characteristics and conventions, be they visual, narrative or thematic. However, as stated by Altman (relayed by Deleyto), various genres can 'exist simultaneously at various levels.' In other words, the bounds of various genres overlap, and elements of one genre may also be found in another, not through a form of borrowing or mixing, but because genres are not necessarily 'mutually exclusive' to one another. 2. Films can be a 'mix' of genres. While generic conventions may overlap across various genres, even when they don't, a film can contain elements of various genres, in a form of mixing. A film in about cowboys in the Wild West may be considered a Western, but it could also have elements of Romance and Comedy at the same time. While Derrida (through Deleyto) argues that '...mixing' guarantees the essential purity of genre identity", the fact that most movies can belong to multiple genres seem to make the process of categorizing them in the first place a bit moot. A film which mixes multiple genres, such as a "Western Romantic Comedy Epic", may have elements of each to various degrees, but because of this mix, it may not necessarily 'belong' (another word that Derrida uses) to any of them. Stagecoach, for example, is visually a Western, but outside of the last third of the movie, it does not have many themes typically found in Westerns, but more of Romance and a hint of comedy. If not for the last third where Western tropes are seemingly jammed into the film, Stagecoach would only be considered a Western because of its visual motifs. 3. Genres are constantly in flux. Whether or not genres are properly defined does not take away from their usefulness. We use genres all the time to describe films, and even in the case of a film with multiple genres, we can typically point to the most relevant and genres to describe the films (For example, Titanic would be described more as a Romantic Epic than a period piece, despite the fact that it can fit into the latter). However, with each new film that gets categorized into a genre, the boundaries of those genres get larger to accommodate Deleyto points out that '...genres, like like any other complex systems, are, in fact, constantly changing.' When a new film enters a genre, the film's elements themselves become defining elements of the genre as a whole. Therefore, attempts to subvert or criticize a genre is 'often nothing more than part of the evolution inherent in all film genres.' -------------------------------- Abby Keith # Genre requires an overarching acceptance of the specific category and the characteristics that are being used to define it, but certain genres can be perceived differently in different cultures, also known as different “fields of reference”. This makes it impossible to apply a specific genre label to a movie without any contradiction or disagreement. (Tudor) # The categorization of genre, if defined as sharing a specific set of conventions and characteristics with other movies from the same genre, becomes redundant because it requires the classifier to already have some knowledge about the movie in question before analysis. These previously established conventions and characteristics that define the genre have already been distinguished in a similar way, which contradicts the need for isolating the film to define it. (Tudor) # Genres evolve constantly, not just with time but with new technologies and developing societal ideals. This can happen rapidly, and can affect either surface characteristics, such as costuming or language, or deeper conventions, like the underlying themes. Constant evolution and development of genre itself makes it difficult for a set definition to be applied to the term “genre”. (Schatz) --------------------------------- Lola Lagji 1. Films do not have only one genre usually. Genre is not a straightforward endeavor, because I think films usually do not have only one genre, I have seen there is usually is a combination of genres in films. I can think of using ''Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios(1988) as an example. That film in my opinion was a comedy and a drama. 2. I also think the definition of genre is always changing, and is sometimes up for interpretation. In the lecture outline, there is a quote from Andrew Tudor that says “Genre is what we collectively believe it to be”(Page 1). However, I think the definition of genre isn’t always the same for everyone. 3. Lastly, some different genres share characteristics as mentioned in the lecture outline. In the lecture outline it says “Types of recurring conventions: visual, aural, and technical / narrative /thematic”(Page 1). That text is implying that although they do share characteristics, there are still differences between the genres. --------------------------------- Maxwell Koyama (I) Genre is not something that exists in and of itself, but rather is purely a phenomenon of intertext. A genre is an idea that arises from the relationship between numerous films, and is a product of the commonalities of the texts that constitute it. (II) Genres are established based on a certain cultural consensus that is difficult to identify analytically. In an excerpt from his essay on genre, Andrew Tutor notes that film theorists face a dilemma when analyzing genres (in this case taking up the example of westerns): “they are defining a western on the basis of analyzing a body of films that cannot possibly said to be westerns until after the analysis”. (5) Tutor is stressing the fact that prior to any formal critical identification of genre, audiences categorize films by genre based on already existing notions of that genre that derive from the observation of recurring commonalities between films. (III) Genres are as much the property of audiences as they are artists. Genre relies on the offering up, acceptance, and satisfaction of certain expectations; the creators and marketers of a film encourage certain expectations, which audiences take up and use to extrapolate towards certain assumptions about the film based on the genre or films of a genre that the filmmakers evoke. The satisfaction of these expectations affirms the audiences in the capacity of entertainment, and perpetuates the genre by embodying the shared characteristics that the audiences had come to expect from the film that implied that it was of that genre. This is the process of genre-making, in which both the audience and the artists are implicated. --------------------------------- Tua Hytönen # The definition of genre isn’t a clearcut one. Even though we can consider certain aspects to go under the category of a specific genre, even though a film would apply all these aspects, it might not actually belong under that genre. A recent example of how difficult to define genre is, would be how Ridley Scott’s The Martian was sorted under the category of ‘Musical or Comedy’ for the Golden Globes. However, most people would consider this film a science fiction film. This means there is no certain definition for each genre. # Some genres are capable of overlapping each other. As in the case of The Martian, as previously mentioned, some films are capable of belonging to multiple different genres, as they combine specific systems or conventions from a variety of certain genres. Such as in the Hollywood Western, as Schatz mentions, there is a specific plot development with a certain setting and character. However, this aspect of the Western could be combined with another film genre. Tarantino films are excellent examples of combining different genres. # There is a difference to how a critic chooses to use a specific film genre term, as Tudor mentions. Even though there will be certain systems and conventions that are typically seen in a certain genre, it can be up to the viewer how they see the film, how they interpret it and analyze it, for them to actually see a film as a different genre than someone else. ------------------------------ Aresha Manami Shafiq: # Defining genre is not straightforward because one film might have different genres. For example,the audience might think the film is comedy but the genre might be drama or a combination of both. # Tudor mentions genre is not defined by attributes but intentions. For example, horror films have the common intention to horrify. # ' Genre is what we collectively believe it to be' is quote by Andrew Tudor that means genre can be interpreted differently by different people. --------------------------------- --------------------------------- Artur Galvao # Genre is not clear-cut, there isn't a correct standards that classifies a movie into a certain genre. However, genre came about once enough films relied a same conventions in order to display comedy, romance or action. Nevertheless, movie actually tend to have multiple genre due to its narrative and stylistic form. # Genre is completely subjective in nature, for as a movie can be labelled as comedy or action but follow little to non of the common conventions of that genre, for example in Stagecoach ''is classified as western however, it can also be a comedy or a romance, it works as all three. # Lastly Tudor mentions genre is not defined by attributes however the intentions of movie. For example, comedy aims for the audience to laugh and a action movie the viewer to feel tension. --------------------------------- Christine Cameron # Genre is a common connection of context between films; it is difficult to set a direct definition of genre because it isn’t set in stone, it’s simply a set of characteristics that appear to have a similarity among different films. # Tudor explains that genre exists because we believe it exists and we draw parallels between films with similar characteristics to create genre; for example: romantic comedies are expected to have a funny/quirky love story involved. # Specific genres are expected to provoke specific reactions from their audiences; when a movie is labelled a “horror” movie, the audience can expect to feel fear, however the level of fear felt is on a subjective basis. --------------------------------- Jessica Rapson # Genre, according to Andrew Tudor, is defined by the intentions of the film, not its attributes. That is to say that the intended emotional response from the audience towards the film is more relevant to its genre than the elements that the film is composed of. For example, a comedy is a film that is made with the purpose of amusing the audience, whereas a horror film aims to make the audience feel fear. If, for example, a comedy film contained elements typically associated with the horror genre, yet still was created with the intent of making the audience laugh, would be considered a comedy. # When discussing genre it is also important to consider that genre is more of a spectrum than a concrete classification. Most films fit into more than one genre, and often only present ''some of the characteristics of the genre in which they are categorized. To further complicate things, genres often overlap; with some genres encompassing many films, such as action or fantasy. For example, Stagecoach ''would most obviously be considered a Western, however it evidently contains elements of action and comedy or even an 'adventure' film. # Finally, determining a film's genre is completely subjective. Tudor states that 'genre is what we collectively believe it to be' ; in other words, a film that one viewer interprets to be a certain genre could be interpreted as being something completely different by another viewer. --------------------------------- Melissa Birch 1. Films do not necessarily fit into a specific genre. For example, if we were to separate films based on technical conventions alone, the categorization of films might be very different. While currently perceived to be a comedy, a film categorized under technical conventions may be more of a drama. Tudor states, "it is possible to divide all films into groups, though not necessarily mutually exclusive groups." (Tudor, 4) This poses a problem, as how does one quantitatively categorize what a film is more when deciding what genre to classify it as: a comedy or a drama. 2. Even just considering genre in today's culture, it is tough to classify a film as definitely belonging to a certain genre due to the nature of the definition of genres. It becomes even more difficult when considering what Schatz puts forward, "changes in cultural attitudes, new influential genre films, the economics of the industry, and so forth, continually refine any film genre." (Schatz, 691) If the culture is continuously changing, and the definition of a genre relies on the common consensus of that culture, then that means that genre is constantly changing. Classifying films by genre becomes difficult as one needs to continually consider cultural and historical context before being able to decide its genre. 3. While some genres are more clearly defined by certain conventions such as narrative or visual conventions such as the setting of the Western movie, Tudor discusses that some films are defined based on their intentions, such as horror movies and thrillers. Tudor also indicates that this is an issue as it, "suffers from the notorious difficulties of isolating intentions." (Tudor, 4) This would be something that is different based on individual interpretation. As well, the filmmaker could have had a different intention or multiple intentions in mind than the general audience experiences, even if unlikely. However, there is a second issue which is that films are being classified into genres based on both intention and technical conventions, which poses an issue that films are not being divided based on the same things. This could cause a discrepancy in the classification system. --------------------------------- Xinyi Wang (Victoria) # Genre depends on lots of factors. If we see a film from different angles, we may have different thoughts about film genre.Some might be comedy from the plot. Some might be western considering the technical methods. The intent and ways to tell a story vary according to the perception of audience. Therefore we can never clearly define what genre a specific film is. # Attitude and intention can cause misunderstanding while defining genre as it is said by Tudor. If we can look at a film and the intention, the genre may come naturally. However, the intention may be different as well. Things can happen in thousands ways. Similar settings can create comedies as well as horror films. In this way, judging the genre becomes more complicated. # Tudor also paid attention to the audiences' reactions and perception. For example, if we "believe it to be" a comedy which emphasizes on the funny points, we define it in one way; if we "believe it to be" a romantic film which emphasizes on telling us some thing about love, we define it differently. Film is not a film on its own while the audiences are involved. And the genre will be influenced greatly in this way. -------------------------------------- Alina Seropian 1. Tudor (7) states “crucial factors that distinguish a genre are not only characteristics inherent in the films themselves; they also depend on the particular culture within which we are operating”. In other words genre is a state of flux that the culture shapes it to be. 2. Tudor (7) “Genre is what we collectively believe it to be”, again there is no distinct characteristic of what genre is, it is a bend of other categories that is up to the spectator to group. 3. There are no “rules” on what a genre should be since, it is a creative process that is not limited by set of guidelines, but welcomed and transformed through vision. --------------------------------------- Katy Czajkowski Genre is not a straightforward endeavor because 1. Andrew Tudor described genre as “what we collectively believe it to be”, which explains that it is our perceptions that create it. However, this sparks the question of who “we” are. A film’s genre is based off of the perceptions of the audience, however audiences are continuously changing. Opinions, beliefs and ideologies are continuously evolving, meaning our descriptions of the world as we perceive it are constantly changing. Therefore an audiences’ reactions of one genre may be completely different than the reactions of another audience, based off of generational, economic, and ethical/cultural differences. If we must “lean on a common cultural consensus as to what constitutes” a genre, we must understand that they are not constant. 2. The subset of characteristics defining each genre are not objectively measurable. The description of a western genre in comparison to that of a horror, as Tudor mentioned, is very different. Neither a western nor a horror movie can be defined by merely their attributes, but also their intentions, their structure, their themes, among other things. However, defining intentions without restraining the themes, plots and conflicts is very difficult. Categories cannot evenly be divided when the measures are not conclusive. 3. The establishment of a genre does not just rely on the purpose or intent of the creators. To establish a film as a specific genre it involves an interconnected relationship between the filmmakers, viewers, financiers and critics, as mentioned in lecture. The director hopes to create a film in conjunction with the expectations of the audience for that specific genre. However, a critic also has to be pleased with the product, under their own expectations of that genre. Genre must honor the tacit relationship or contract between these groups. ------------------- Uri Goldberg # Genre has no clear outlines as to what movie can be considered part of a genre or another. When deciding the genre of a movie, very loose criteria is used in order to define that specific genre. # Intent over classification. The way critics and viewers classify a movie can be very different from the directors vision and intent. # Movies can have many different genres combined. For example ''The Prestige, combines the genre of thriller and Sci-Fi in itself. Sal Basilone 1) As Tudor points out, defining a genre often involves working backwards. Either the critic selects the films supposedly "in" the genre first, and then through comparison of the characteristics of these films builds the definition of the genre, or the critic relies on the "common cultural consensus" of the genre and then analyzes it further; the latter is the more common method(Tudor, 4-5). 2) If genre is dependent on cultural consensus, that means the definition is necessarily vague and fluid; cultural attitudes and understandings change over time, and as filmmakers themselves are aware (to some degree or another) of this consensus they will invariably toy with those characteristics, thus testing the limits of the definition; because of this the definition of a genre must be necessarily vague, so that it can remain flexible. For example, Warshow discusses some of the thematic, visual and technical criteria of the Western (such as the hero being a man of the frontier, who defends order civilization without necessarily being able to partake in it). But filmmakers have quite consciously and obviously made films that utilize the some of these criteria while specifically overturning others; Tudor mentions specific examples such as Sam Peckinpah (8, 10), and even John Ford himself in the 1960s (8). But what good would the definition be if it was so strict that it discounted these films? 3) As Schatz points out, the characteristics that make a film a part of a "genre" may actually have a very different function. He posits the categories of "determinate" and "indeterminate" space as separating different kinds of genres; the former being films that portray a specific setting that acts as the "contested space" in the film, and those films that are dependant on the "attitudinal... oppositions" of the characters (698). --------------------- Kelc Noble 1. There are many different types of genre. The genre categories aren’t always straightforward. It can be hard to come up with a particular definition of a genre since many different movies have many different types of genre. Also in films, they can have more than one genres. 2. Within a movie, there can be many different kinds of genres. In stage coach which was the film, that was watched this week. The genre is noted as western, however within the film, there were romantic elements that were present. There was also parts of the film that could have been considered comedy. Different types of genres could correspond with each other. 3. There are three different types of convection that define particular types of genre. Visual, aural and technical, each deals with the look, sound, and feel of the film. In the text Andrew Tudor, he addresses the topic “fields of reference.” What this means is that in different cultures various types of genres can be observed differently. Since different cultures can have a different view, it makes it hard to label movies to one particular genre without having people that would oppose. --------------------- Crystal Yi # Genre is a method of categorizing films based on the structure, similarities, sequences(setting, Mise-en-scene,), style of the films. ‘A genre is a grouping of films that filmmakers and film viewers, film financiers and film critics assume to possess some common set of characteristics.’ from the lecture notes. 2. Genre also hard to define because there is no fixed boundaries. It depends on how we define and what we believe it to be. ‘ Andrew Tudor: “Genre is what we collectively believe it to be.” ’ from the lecture notes. 3. Thomas Schatz: “Whereas the genre exists as a sort of tacit ‘contract’ between filmmakers and audience, the genre film is an actual event that honors such a contract” (691). Genres also depends on the distribution. It built in audiences and corresponding publication that support them. --------------------- Ivy Li 1. Genre is a grouping of films that filmmakers and film viewers and every participants assume to possess some common set of characteristics. Therefore there can be multiple genres in one film and everyone can have different interpretations. 2. When think of Western films, tend to think “of a vaguely defined amalgam of actions and attitudes, of characters and locales.” Genre of a film is defined within the values of that culture, for example, professor mentioned in the lecture that the discussion of and conflict between women and men, law and out-law, violence and peace, gap between pursue of dreams and reality. 3. Genre also classifies itself by building connection between many films. --------------------- Hunter Scharfe # When the term genre is used, it entails a general acceptance of the the category and the common conventions that embody and define it. However, because people come from a slurry of different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and upbringings, these 'common conventions' will be interpreted differently by different people. This is also described as "fields of reference" (Tudor). Because of this diversity, it is nearly impossible to describe a single film with a single genre without people having conflicting opinions. # Genre is also constantly changing. As we develop new technologies and our ideals and opinions evolve, our perception of films will change, therefore our view of genres will change as well. These evolutions occurs both in mies-en-scene, including costume and set, and theme. This means that these evolutions penetrate all levels of a film. Because these evolutions occur constantly, it is difficult to define a a group of films or a film with the term "genre." (Schatz) # Tudor also explains that genre is what we define it to be. To this tone, it is clear that most movies have the ability to encapsulate more than one genre. In other words, many movies are hybrids of multiple genres. Since we have socially constructed definition of what different genres are meant to be, we naturally mash different genres together when watching a movie that has themes from multiple genres. Since this mixing effect occurs, it is difficult to define a movie with one genre.